RefRefvsCello
Cello alternative for referrals & loyalty.
Turn product love into lasting growth.
An open-source Cello alternative for in-product referrals and loyalty, built around your customers.
Referrals + loyalty. Open source. Start free.
One platform. More reasons to return.
A customer brings a friend
Referral · reward the introduction
The relationship keeps growing
Loyalty · reward repeat engagement
Your next advocate is already here
Connect acquisition and retention
Scroll sideways to compare both platforms →
| Your decision | RefRef | Cello |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing meter | Monthly active participants. No percentage of referred revenue. Reward delivery and provider costs are separate. | User Referrals uses referral ARR. Partner Referrals uses transacting partners and managed-payout fees. |
| Program experience | Customer referrals and loyalty with your own brand, product integrations, and open-source customization. | Embedded SaaS referral journeys with SDKs, branding, and managed reward operations. |
Compare the complete plan, including required features and operating work. Cello plans and features · RefRef pricing
Built for the way you grow.
Choose the foundation that fits your customers, your stack, and your ambitions.
Shortlist RefRef
Choose RefRef when you want in-product referrals and loyalty with a participant-based subscription. Shape incentives around your product and extend the experience with your own code.
- Your engineering team owns the integration
- Customer referrals and loyalty share one model
- Active participation is the pricing signal you want
Choose Cello when…
Cello is a strong fit for embedded SaaS referral experiences and managed reward operations. It offers separate User Referrals and Partner Referrals products.
Explore its current offerTranslate monthly revenue into the correct meter
An illustrative buying scenario, not a customer result or a guaranteed saving.
Start with your numbers
A SaaS product adds $1,000 in recurring monthly revenue from referred subscriptions.
What changes the choice?
Use the User Referrals offer for customer-led product sharing and the Partner Referrals offer for commercial partner recruitment. Compare that selected offer with your actual RefRef active-participant count. A recurring SaaS sale and a one-time purchase should not be forced into the same ARR calculation.
Model your program economicsMoving from Cello? Preserve the promises.
Customers should keep the rewards they earned. Use these checks to plan the transition before changing live traffic.
01
Map what exists
Identify whether each existing campaign is a user-referral or partner-referral motion; preserve its reward agreement.
02
Preserve the obligations
Map customer and subscription IDs, recurring reward periods, and already-earned balances before replacing SDK capture.
03
Verify the new journey
Verify a new subscription, renewal, upgrade, and cancellation. Compare the annualized revenue report with actual reward obligations.
This is a planning checklist, not a one-click importer. Test your mapping on a small cohort and reconcile old and new records before switching the full program.
Compare the work behind building and buyingBring them in. Give them a reason to stay.
Referrals start the relationship. Loyalty keeps it growing. Build both with one open-source platform.
One platform. More reasons to return.
A customer brings a friend
Referral · reward the introduction
The relationship keeps growing
Loyalty · reward repeat engagement
Your next advocate is already here
Connect acquisition and retention
Your program, your rules
Make the program fit your product.
Choose who earns, what they earn, and which moments deserve a reward. Build around your customers and the experience they already love.
- Reward introductions and ongoing engagement
- Shape incentives around your business model
- Keep your brand across the customer journey
Customize beyond a settings screen.
Adapt the source, extend the integration, and create the program that fits. Your next idea can become part of the product.
Keep your options open.
Start hosted or run RefRef on your infrastructure. Open-source code gives you more control over your data, hosting, and future, without depending on one vendor to make every change.
Your AI assistant. Your integration.
Use AI-assisted integrations to connect RefRef to your stack. Give your coding assistant the API context, describe your reward flow, and review the implementation before you launch.
Integration brief
“Reward a successful referral. Add loyalty credits when that customer comes back.”
Multiple Reward Types
Choose from multiple reward types to suit your needs. Integrate with your different systems to support your reward types.
Cash Rewards
Automate PayPal, Stripe, or manual payouts.
Cash Payouts
Automated payment processing
Store Credits & Discounts
Drive repeat purchases & engagement.
Store Credits & Discounts
Drive repeat purchases
Discount Code
REFER20Physical Goods
Offer exclusive merchandise or gifts.
Physical Goods
Exclusive merchandise & gifts
01How does RefRef pricing differ from Cello?
02Can I self-host RefRef?
03What counts as an active participant?
Pricing details & sources
Cello User Referrals plans use referral ARR. Partner Referrals plans use transacting partners and managed-payout fees. Referral ARR is annual recurring revenue, not monthly referred revenue.
Cello offers custom branding and embedded referral experiences. Compare the customer journey you want to build, beyond the appearance of a shared link.
Cello provides SDKs and an API for integration. RefRef pairs integration tools with open-source customization and self-hosting.
Written by RefRef. Compare current plans and feature limits in the official sources below.
Make every customer relationship count.
Create your account and build a program around your customers.